Resizable single piece food package

ABSTRACT

A single piece paperboard container for holding relatively flat circular food products is formed from a container having top and bottom walls with at least four side walls integrally connected to the top and bottom walls. The improved container includes a plurality of integral fold lines providing for substantial separation between the top wall and the bottom wall such that the remaining portion of the single piece paperboard container is capable of being reduced in size.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

[0001] Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

[0002] Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] 1. Field of the Invention

[0004] The present invention relates in general to cartons especially suitable for packaging food products such as pizzas, cakes or pies and more particularly relates to an improved container capable of being easily reduced in size whereby a savings in storage space is facilitated.

[0005] 2. Description of the Prior Developments

[0006] Cartons or containers for packaging food products such as pizzas, cakes, or pies are well known and exist in a number of types and shapes. Single piece foldable paper blanks are often used to package the various food items. The conventional type of flat food product carton is generally a shallow, substantially square-configured carton sized to fit relatively close to the edge of the product when assembled. Fold lines for example: perforations, scores, slits or hinges are commonly used in order to facilitate assembly of the paper blanks. A typical example of such a container for the packaging of pizza is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,054. Another example is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,534.

[0007] In general, when given the choice between a small, medium or large size food item, the most economical purchase for the consumer is the large food item. These large cartons, while suitable for initial packaging and delivery of the food product, are cumbersome and inappropriate for storage of left over food items. Consumers are faced with the near impossible task of rearranging refrigerator items in order to accommodate the large food package that contains relatively little left over food product. Other storage options available to the consumer include transferring the left over food items into smaller sized solid plastic containers or placing the food items into a flexible plastic or aluminum wrap. The above mentioned storage options are time consuming to use, require consumers to waste economic resource on storage replacement wraps and/or energy on containers that need to be cleaned.

[0008] An example of a food package that the present invention can be adapted to is the common “pizza box.” Many improvements have been proposed relating to the generally recognized pizza box. Improvements of the pizza box include: corner closure arrangements, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,402,929 and 5,110,039; dual pizza carrying capabilities, U.S. Pat. No. 5,950,912 and; structure stability U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,326. None of the patents uncovered in the search discloses a one-piece foldable paper container capable of resizing. A small advance in this otherwise crowded art would carry great weight as a promotional advantage to the manufacturer and a space saving convenience to the consumer.

[0009] It would be desirable to have a box according to the invention herein that can be easily formed with a minimal amount of effort into an easily manageable, space savings storage container from an existing single piece package. Ideally, the invention would be incorporated into the manufacturer's existing paper blanks whereby minimal machine retooling would be required thereby saving manufacturing costs while providing the consumer with a practical food storage advantage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention provides for a single paper blank that is perforated, scored, slit, or hinged to provide a foldable pizza box having the capability of being easily resized to accommodate the storage of left over food items. These fold lines placed strategically along preexisting sections of the single paper blank accomplish resizing of the assembled container. Few fold lines are required thereby maintaining the structural integrity of the box. Material reduction of the pizza box is accomplished by removal of a portion of the existing pizza box lid and side sections along fold lines. The now removed pizza box lid, uncontaminated by food or grease and possibly preprinted by the manufacturer to contain simple instructions, can be used to aid the consumer in resizing the remaining pizza box portion. Complete resizing of the pizza box results in a substantial reduction in the size of the pizza box. The box can then be stored flat, lengthwise or widthwise in the refrigerator or in any other storage device. The reduced box size holds left over food portions securely, overcoming the problem of food remnants sliding within a large box, thereby allowing the resized box the additional advantage of being stored vertically on its side. These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from an examination of the following description and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] In the drawings:

[0012]FIG. 1 is an isometric view illustrating a typical single piece flat blank cut, scored and slotted food package.

[0013]FIG. 2 shows fold lines of the present invention required for the removal of box material and resizing of the box.

[0014]FIG. 3 shows the single piece flat blank after material portions of the box have been removed along fold lines to form the present invention.

[0015]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the single piece flat blank of FIG. 3 assembled and showing the lid in the open position.

[0016]FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the present invention showing the resized single piece food package with the lid in the closed position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0017] The preferred embodiment of the present invention represents an improvement over the single piece cut, scored and slotted paperboard food package as of the type generally disclosed in application Ser. No. 652,890 filed May 23, 1996 naming as inventors Nicolas A. Philips and Walter D. Keefe Jr. and assigned to Weyerhaeuser Company. application Ser. No. 652,890 was subsequently granted U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,054 on Dec. 30, 1997.

[0018] U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,054 is used for illustrative purposes only as representing the type of food package well known by persons of ordinary skill in the art. The present invention would be equally adaptable to similar food containers having generally uniform structure including the pizza box sold under the trademark Pizza Hut by Pizza Hut, Inc., which box is used for the package and transport of pizza. Referring now to the drawings for a better understanding of the invention, it will be seen that FIGS. 1 and 2 show the differences between the existing 054' patent and the present improved invention.

[0019]FIG. 1 shows that single piece flat blank 10 has a generally rectangular bottom wall or panel 12 and a corresponding top closure wall or panel 14. Extending outwardly and hinged thereto from the opposed side edges of bottom panel 12 are sidewalls 16, 18 along score lines 20 and 22. Extending outwardly from score line 24 is a rectangular front wall or panel 26. Corner wall or panel 59 illustrated in FIG. 1 is of the type used in U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,054. Other corner wall or panel configurations, such as, but not limited to those depicted in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,100,039 and 5,950,912, can also be used.

[0020] Extending outwardly from hinge line 54 from the back edge of bottom panel 12 is the rear side or wall panel 56. Extending further outwardly from the top edge of panel 56 along hinge line 58 is the top of generally rectangular closure wall or panel 14. Extending outwardly from the edge of top panel 14 opposite hinge line 58 is locking flap 60 which will be insertable into corner wall or panel, generally indicated at 59 in the folded box of FIG. 3. Other closure panel 14 elements have been omitted where they are believed to be not pertinent to the present invention.

[0021]FIG. 2 shows fold lines, created in the existing paperboard that differs from those in FIG. 1. Fold line 1 extends from sidewall or panel 16 to sidewall or panel 18 and is positioned between score line 24 and hinge line 54. Fold line 2 extends between score lines 20, 22 and is positioned, a distance equal to the width of rear side or wall panel 56, from fold line 1. Opposed fold edges 4, 5 are angled inwardly and terminate at points that will establish a dimension for locking flap 3 slightly shorter than the length of front panel 26. Locking flap 3 is shaped by fold lines to resemble locking flap 60 of top closure wall or panel 14.

[0022]FIG. 3 is representative of the present invention after substantial removal of top closure wall or panel 14 along fold line 1, score lines 20, 22, hinge lines 62, 64 (shown in FIG. 1) and locking flap 3.

[0023] Turning now to FIGS. 4 and 5, the folding sequence will be described for erecting a resizable container from flat blank 10. First, the angular front corner configurations 59 can be folded and moved into position while bringing up the side walls 16, 18 along score lines 20, 22. Fold line 1 is rotated 90° as shown in FIG. 4. At this point, locking flap 3 can be folded inward along the upper hinge line of panel 56. Fold line 2 is rotated inward while simultaneously placing locking flap 3 into corner configurations 59 to form the resized box as shown in FIG. 5. Finally, opposed fold edges 4, 5 are rotated inward 180° and pressed against the newly formed top closure wall or panel 15.

[0024] Left over food product can now be securely packaged in the resizable single piece food package for compact storage in the refrigerator or other storage device.

[0025] While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims, which scope is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted under the law. 

We claim:
 1. An improved single piece paperboard container for holdin food products, said container having top and bottom walls with at least four side walls connected to the top and bottom walls, the improvement comprising: a plurality of integral fold lines providing for substantial separation between said top wall and said bottom wall, said integral folds also providing for the remaining portion of said single piece paperboard container the capability of being reduced in size; and a means for creating said integral fold lines.
 2. The improved single piece paperboard container of claim 1, further comprising a first fold line located in the center of said bottom wall and extending straight across from the outer edge of said side walls.
 3. The improved single piece paperboard container of claim 1, further comprising a second fold line on said bottom wall extending from the inner edge said side walls, positioned inward from and parallel with said first fold line.
 4. The improved single piece paperboard container of claim 1, further comprising a third fold line in the general shape of said top wall, extending from the inner edge of said side walls, and positioned inward from said second fold line.
 5. An improved single piece paperboard container for holding food products, said container having top and bottom walls with at least four side walls connected to the top and bottom walls, the improvement comprising: a first fold line located in the center of said bottom wall and extending to the outer edge of said side walls, a second fold line on said bottom wall extending from the inner edge said side walls and positioned inward from said first fold line, a third fold line in the general shape of said top wall extending from the inner edge of said side walls and positioned inward from said second fold line, and a means for creating said integral fold lines. 